“Border Post 99”— No man’s land--- Book Review
What is more important a county’s pride or an individual’s
connection with another person?
Every time you listen to anything about India and Pakistan
in this part of the country, it reminds you of all the terrorist attacks, war between
the two nations and the long standing conflicts the two nations had since
Independence.
The only thing that has connected both the countries is at
an India—Pakistan cricket match. In India its said cricket is a religion and
when we play with a match with Pakistan, there is a lot of emotional connection
on both the sides.
Now when there is tension and soldiers being killed on
either side, this story has just struck an emotional chord in me. On the
borders the soldiers are stationed to protect the nation from enemies. But not
on the Border Post 99, it practically doesn’t exist on any map and any soldier
assigned to the post is virtually non-existent.
Lt. Mangesh Sharma is assigned to this post!
Now on a “No man’s land”, you have practically nothing to
do, until unless you meet the enemy. But you still have strict orders not to
shoot at your enemy. So, when Mangesh does his daily patrols on the Indian side
of the post encounters a Pakistani on the other side of a stream that separates
the two nations.
What follows is a series of events, where one soldier tries
to harm the other without killing. This somewhat feels funny, even on book
review. I assure you that these harmless events will entertain you a lot but as
you all know when you are in India –Pakistan Border, there is always tension
lurking around the corner.
I was beginning to question myself where is the story
leading to, the first half of the book was just exceptional, and will the
climax/ending do some justification to the introduction.
Behold the writing skills of Kedar Patankar that reaches its
peak in the final few pages, where he mixes tension with humility and makes
sure that humanity wins above all wars, killings and hate.
Never ever had an author had made a twist in the story that would
leave you with the question of what really did happen next. I really want to
know, of what happened to the Pakistani Captain Adid Khan, after the military convoy
of India left the No man’s land.
I wish I can read a sequel to this story or craft one and
present the story to Kedar.
I also wish to meet the author, to find out if the story is
real and the events that might have happened that lead him write such an
incredible story.
It’s a 5 star rating from me and anyone reading this review
should read the story.
And my last wish, I wish our PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s
PM Nawaz Sharif, to read this story so that Nawaz Sharif understands the true
meaning of humanity and friendship over terrorism and the ability to not take
actions on of all the terror activities in their state.
This book was an "OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day"
